As Apple stole from banks dream

As Apple stole from banks dream

Victor LysenkoOsnovatel and CEO RoketbankaNovaya Apple Pay technology does not threaten the banks and payment systems. It just would deprive them of a monopoly on information about customer behavior, and this is a huge source of future income

The last few years, bankers anxiously glancing at the Apple side, waiting for the invasion of their territory. Around the preparations for the attack were many rumors. Finally, a week ago, the company launched its project payments Apple Pay, and it is now possible since the facts in hand to find out what it is.

In connection with an Apple campaign on the financial market there are many questions. whether banks will suffer? Is there a threat of payment systems? The answer Samsung? And in the end, what is so new Apple’s done, what not to do to her?

Banks had something to fear from the very beginning of Apple smartphones look like a logical device for payment. In 2012, there was PassBook application that allows you to use loyalty cards and coupons, well, about 800 million accounts with iTumes attached to them by credit card customers and say nothing.

Not enough detail. And this year, Apple has made the last few steps: quickly add user identification by fingerprint, built into their smartphones NFC function, as well as contracts with payment systems, several major banks and retail chains with the United States.

What is the process of buying in a store using Apple Pay? To begin, the user needs to bind to service their bank card by already tied to iTunes or add a new one. It’s enough to take a picture of the map and enter the security code. The store at the checkout buyer brings the smartphone to the terminal on the screen pops up a notice of the impending purchase, for which authorization is sufficient to press a finger on the Touch ID button. The coincidence of the fingerprint is the proof of payment, and money is deducted from the card attached, the customer is informed about this phone vibration. This is one of the simplest procedures offered at the market.

Apple – is not the first company to try their hand at mobile payments, and they still take root is not very smooth. It turned out that simply connect the card to the mobile app is not enough: pay card itself often faster than waiting for the application to determine which store you are and what you should do. And the user’s behavior in this case, changes little. But Apple, in the first place, really implemented payments “in one click”, and secondly, find a way to move to the phone from a leather wallet is not only a bank card, and all that it is, including the loyalty program cards and transportation cards. And thirdly, already a huge amount of users linked to the iTunes charts in its assets.

It is important that this is a safer method of payment than payment cards. The data of the card when making the payment does not appear anywhere instead of a smartphone and the terminal exchange “token” – a special code, which is formed for a specific transaction. This was possible thanks published in March this year, the consortium EMVCo specifications, brings together the largest payment systems (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB). That is, the attackers are much less likely to intercept card data and use them for fraud.

So, what does this mean for the payment systems? Their position is only strengthened, because Apple now uses not only have they created earlier infrastructure in the form of credit cards, processes, etc., but also a new specification for contactless payments.

What to expect the banks? Banks can temporarily relax them in the near future is not threatened. Now Apple has agreed with the six largest banks in the United States (American Express, Bank of America, Capital One Bank, Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo) that Apple the Pay service will serve their cards. Many are not included in this list of banks got in line and wish to connect too. According to preliminary information, Apple will take with them 0.15% of the amount of transactions carried out. For most countries, it is quite a moderate percentage, and the banks will be able to a “pull”. That is much in the pocket of the banks climb Apple does not plan, in fact, like to make a payment hold.

Does Apple take the place of the banks? No, I do not want – the company does not get into the business in which it is necessary to come from an unexpected transaction in Bulgaria, and there are not huge revenues to explain to tens of millions of customers, where in the discharge of their map. For Apple, it is more important to capitalize on the sale of their devices than to climb into a complex card business of banks. Rather, it repeats the story of the sale of music tracks through iTunes at a low price: if they were all amazed low price of music supposedly not profitable for Apple’s, and the company has earned a lot of money by selling players.

Already connected to the project, the Bank exhaled with relief and rejoicing retreated threat advertising partnership with Apple on your site or on the ATM screen. However, Apple has stolen from banks dream. The last few years a lot of people told the banks that they have the Holy Grail – information about the buying behavior of customers, which can be converted into a huge source of revenue through targeted offers to users and promotional mechanics. This Grail exists, but the banks of it will get nothing, Apple wants to pick it up yourself. The company is already gaining in his team of specialists in loyalty programs and its advertising platform iAd she already has.

Apple Pay Promotion will not, of course, an easy walk in the park. A number of major reteylovyh networks, including such giants as Wal-mart, Kmart, 7-Eleven, and Best Buy, said they will block at accepting payments via Apple Pay. And they do it not just to Apple peak: the network together and create their own application called CurrentC, which is expected to launch next year. And retailers want to exclude from the chain more and payment systems to save on commissions: the money should be charged not with a credit card, and directly from the customer’s account. However, so far none of the banks is not connected to this system.

It is clear that the fight for the NFC-payments and transaction information of clients to be sharp. And the main competitor, Samsung, will not sit still and try to counterattack. Galaxy S5 smartphone already lets you log in to the PayPal payment system, fingerprint, and there are rumors that in the near future, the company will present and “smart” watches with similar payment functions.